Identification, quantification and analysis of observable anthropogenic debris along swiss river and lakes (IQASL)¶
IQASL is a project sponosored by the Swiss Federal Office for the environment to quantify shoreline trash along swiss lakes and rivers in the Rhone, Aare, Ticino and Linth/Limmat catchment areas. This is accomplished by conducting multiple small scale and discrete litter surveys throughout the river bassin. The majority of samples are taken from lakes.
What is a litter survey?
A litter survey is the identification and count of all objects found within a delimited area, in this study all surveys were bordered on one side by water. Each object is placed into one of 260 categories¹. The location, date, survey dimensions and the total number of objects in each category is noted.
Purpose of the surveys
The survey results help ALL stakeholders identify the items that make up the mass of trash found in the natural environment on the shores of Swiss lakes and rivers. The surveys answer the following questions:
- What items are found?
- How much is found ? (total weights and item counts)
- How often are these items found?
- Where do you find the most?
These are the most frequently asked questions and should be considered when determining any mitigation or reduction strategies.
The project is based on the following assumptions:
- The more trash there is on the ground the more a person is likely to find
- The survey results represent the minimum amount of trash at that site²
- For each survey: finding one item does not effect the chance of finding another³
Purpose of this report
Summarize the survey results for the municpality and define the magnitude of those results with respect to other locations in the river bassin and the aggregated national results.
The survey results are presented as follows:
- Total object count, total weight and weight of plastics
- The most abundant objects from the survey area and all the other survey areas sorted by total object count
- Pieces of trash per meter (pcs/m): the ratio of number of objects found to the length of the shoreline
- Objects that were found in at least 60% of the surveys
Contents of this report
Scope: description of the survey area
- survey totals
- survey locations
- summary results
Municipal results, survey dimensions, locations, aggregated totals
- weights and measures: cumulative
- number of objects removed
- suvey location map
Trash removed: most abundant objects
- the most common objects from the municipality
- the most common objects from the water feature or survey area
Trash removed: the most often and abundant
- objects that are found in more than 50% of surveys
- objects that are the most abundant
- objects found in less than 50% of the surveys
Trash removed: utility and material
- utility classification
- material classification
- effective data: report of missing records
- survey location coordinates
- population profile and results by municipality
- itemized list of objects removed
More information
For more information about the project visit project home.
If you would like more information specific information about this survey area please contact:
- Swiss federal office for the environment - Municipal waste section
- analyst@hammerdirt.ch
¹ The EU guide on monitoring marine litter
² There is most likely more trash at the survey site, but certainly not less than what was recorded.
³ Independent observations : stats stackexchange
Material type and Utility: percent of total objects collected¶
Material type The material type is determined based on the classification in the the guide on monitoring marine litter.
Utility: The utility type is based on the utilisation of the object prior to it being discarded. Objects are placed into to one of the 260 categories. Those categories are grouped according to utilisation.
For example, a piece of plastic would be placed into the category 'Fragmented plastics', depending on its size. However, a piece of plastic that was once a bucket and we know this because we are familiar with either the brand or the product, is placed in a code for buckets⁸.
- wastewater: items released from water treatment plants includes items likely toilet flushed
- micro plastics (< 5mm): fragmented plastic items and pre-production plastic resins
- infrastructure: items related to construction and maintenance of all infratructure items
- food and drink: primarily single use plastic items related to consuming food and drinks outdoors
- agriculture: primarily industrial sheeting includes plastic sheeting, mulch films
- tobacco: primarily cigarette ends includes all smoking related material
- recreation: includes fishing, hunting, boating and beach related objects, excludes food, drink and tobacco items
- packaging non food and drink: packaging or wrapping material not identified as food, drink nor tobacco related
- plastic fragments: foam and plastic fragments of indeterminate origin and use
- personal items: accessories, hygiene and clothing related
⁸ See the annex for the complete list of objects identified, includes category and group classification
More information¶
Contact hammerdirt.ch for any questions about the content of this report. If you would like a report for your municipality contact the Swiss federal office for the environment: Municipal waste section.